Iraq suffered significant bomb attacks in multiple cities today, leaving at least 69 dead and 176 more wounded. The multiple large-scale attacks were apparently coordinated, took place mostly during a 75-minute span, and focusedon security personnel. In stark contrast, recent violence has largely resulted in only one or two deaths at a time.

Hamid Mutlaq, a Sunni member of parliament, blamedBaghdad for the slaughter, noting that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s office has been stoking political tensions in recent weeks and causing several groups to call for an end to Maliki’s budding "dictatorship." Among the most aggrieved parties is Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi who fled to Iraqi Kurdistan. He fearsthat Maliki’s machinations are tearing the country apart.